Program Overview

About the Foundation Year

The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don’t have the qualifications to enter directly onto the Zoology honours degree programme. Once you pass the Foundation Year you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).

About the BSc (Hons) Zoology degree

Zoology is the scientific study of animals, both living and extinct. It encompasses all aspects of biology, from biochemistry and cell biology to ecology and behaviour, and examines animals in the context of their evolution and their environment, allowing you to specialise in your own areas of interest via placements, projects and modules in levels 5 and 6.

Practical hands-on experience is an important aspect of the course and we have a wealth of local facilities and fieldwork sites on our doorstep. These include three major zoological collections (Chester Zoo, Knowsley Safari Park and the Blue Planet Aquarium) as well as the diverse habitat sites of the North Wales and Lancashire coasts and inland ecosystems in Snowdonia and the Lake District.

One of the real bonuses of this course are the opportunities for residential fieldwork at Level 4 (core), Level 5 (optional) and Level 6 (optional). At Level 6 this is normally overseas and a new destination is planned to the Białowieża Forest World Heritage site in Poland. These are in addition to further extended fieldwork opportunities through work placements of 4-6 weeks and/or a 12-month sandwich placement with a relevant organisation in the UK or overseas.